Art student explores unknown land

Universities are frequently seen as a place to form oneself, but as Idaho State University senior art student Alexa Goff shows, they can also be a place to create something else entirely.
Goff’s Honors Bachelor of Arts senior exhibit “Terrae Incognitae” opens Monday, March 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Transitions Gallery of the Pond Student Union Building. The exhibit will remain at the gallery during regular hours until Friday, March 22. Goff’s featured art will include prints, installations, encaustics and book arts.
“My thesis looks at early 19th-century landscapes,” she said.
The title of the exhibit comes from a phrase in medieval cartography meaning “unknown lands.” Goff said that “Terrae Incognitae” reflects an idea about geography similar to “the way a map has a very specific meaning but also an abstract meaning.”
Describing herself as mainly a printmaker, Goff emphasized her focus on etching and letterpress.
“Both of them are ways to create multiples,” she said.
Working with these multiples, Goff said that she aims to make small alterations from a single base to illustrate a state of flux. Her desire to show the journey of the individual in both a literal and figurative sense in her exhibit is reflection of this stylization.
Goff was recently honored by the College of Arts and Letters as the recipient of the Outstanding Student Achievement Award in Fine Arts and Humanities. She recently completed her honors thesis on Romanticism and is earning minors in literature and art history.
Goff said that her interest in Romantic ideas stems from a balance they create with the ideals from the 20th century onward.
“[Romanticism] sort of complements rational thought with passionate thought,” she said.
Goff described her experience as an ISU student as positive, emphasizing the importance of her professors, specifically Scott Evans and Paula Jull.
“They are really helpful people who have challenged me to become a better person,” said Goff.
ISU offered a small-community experience that Goff said a larger university couldn’t match. She said that she had positive experiences and made real connections wherever she went, regardless of the department.
“Everywhere I went I found such excellent professors,” said Goff. “I’ll reflect upon my bachelor’s here with such great thoughts because of that.”
Goff has worked at Creative Productions in the Pond Student Union Building for three years as a graphic designer under Corinne McCullough. Goff said working with print design through Creative Productions has prepared her for working in print media after finishing her undergraduate degree. Goff said that she plans to go into publishing after graduating.